Active aircraft pylon noise control system

ABSTRACT

An active pylon noise control system for an aircraft includes a pylon structure connecting an engine system with an airframe surface of the aircraft and having at least one aperture to supply a gas or fluid therethrough, an intake portion attached to the pylon structure to intake a gas or fluid, a regulator connected with the intake portion via a plurality of pipes, to regulate a pressure of the gas or fluid, a plenum chamber formed within the pylon structure and connected with the regulator, and configured to receive the gas or fluid as regulated by the regulator, and a plurality of injectors in communication with the plenum chamber to actively inject the gas or fluid through the plurality of apertures of the pylon structure.

ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was made in part by an employee of the UnitedStates Government and may be manufactured and used by or for theGovernment of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefore.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/375,382, with a filing dateof Aug. 20, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated by reference intheir entirety. In addition, this application is co-pending with relatedpatent applications entitled “AIRCRAFT ENGINE EXHAUST NOZZLE SYSTEM FORJET NOISE REDUCTION” and “BLENDED CUTOUT FLAP FOR REDUCTION OF JET-FLAPINTERACTION NOISE” filed on the same day and owned by the same assigneeas this patent application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an aircraft pylon noise control system,and more specifically, to an active aircraft pylon noise control systemcapable of reducing the overall noise of an aircraft by reducing noiseassociated with jet-flap interaction where the engine exhaust flowinteracts with a trailing edge device (e.g., flaps or ailerons) or byredistributing noise sources and reducing jet source noise or byenhancing acoustic shielding of jet noise by an airframe surface of theaircraft.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional aircraft and an aircraft wing ofthe aircraft, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, the aircraft 100includes a fuselage 101, wings 102, and a propulsion engine system 103.The propulsion engine system 103 includes engines 106 at a lower surfaceof the wings 102. Each engine 106 is housed in a nacelle 104 having aninlet 105 and a nozzle system 150 attached to the wing 102 via a pylonstructure 108. FIG. 2 shows high-lift devices included on the wing 102.The high lift devices may include deployable slats 111 positioned towarda leading edge of the wing 102 and multiple trailing edge devicespositioned toward a trailing edge of the wing 102. The trailing edgedevices include an outboard aileron 113, an outboard flap 105, aninboard aileron 117, and an inboard flap 119. The outboard and inboardailerons 113 and 117 are typically used for roll control of the aircraft100 while the outboard and inboard flaps 105 and 119 are used to controlthe lift of the aircraft 100 during takeoff and landing operations. Theailerons 113 and 117 are hinged devices that are un-gapped when in theirdeployed position. When the flaps 105 and 119 are deployed, they rotateand move in an aft direction to open a gap relative to the wing 102 (asdepicted by arrows 121 and 123). Since the motion path of the inboardflap 119 (as indicated by arrow 121) converges with the motion path ofthe outboard flap 105, the inboard aileron 117 located between the flaps105 and 119 may be a hinged device and does not move aft when deployed(as indicated by arrow 125). When a flaperon is used in place of theinboard aileron 117, it moves in an aft direction unlike the inboardaileron 117.

Aircraft noise continues to have a significant negative impact on theenvironment, e.g., on the air transportation system and the public.There are several factors that contribute to overall aircraft noise.These factors include the different operations (e.g., takeoff, approach,and cruise) of the aircraft 100. The level of noise may vary dependingon the operation. For example, jet noise is typically higher during atakeoff operation. Further, shock cell noise may occur during a cruisingoperation of the aircraft 100 which may affect the passengers and crewaboard the aircraft 100. In addition, the interaction of the engine jetexhaust with a deployed high-lift device (e.g., flaps 105 and 119, orailerons 113 and 117) is another source of noise and is accentuatedbased upon a configuration of the propulsion engine system 103.

Therefore, it is desirable to have an aircraft pylon noise controlsystem capable of reducing jet-flap interaction noise and redistributingnoise sources within the aircraft to enhance acoustic shielding by theaircraft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an active pylonnoise system is provided. An active pylon noise control system for anaircraft includes a pylon structure connecting an engine system with anairframe surface of the aircraft and having at least one aperture tosupply a gas or fluid therethrough, an intake portion attached to thepylon structure to intake a gas or fluid, a regulator connected with theintake portion via a plurality of pipes, to regulate a pressure of thegas or fluid, a plenum chamber formed within the pylon structure andconnected with the regulator, and configured to receive the gas or fluidas regulated by the regulator, and a plurality of injectors incommunication with the plenum chamber to actively inject the gas orfluid through the plurality of apertures of the pylon structure.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, an aircraftsystem includes the above-mentioned active pylon noise control systemand a method for the same is also provided.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniquesof the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the inventionare described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimedinvention. For a better understanding of the invention with theadvantages and the features, refer to the description and to thedrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion ofthe specification. The forgoing and other features, and advantages ofthe invention are apparent from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional aircraft.

FIG. 2 illustrates a wing of the conventional aircraft shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic of a propulsion engine system that can beimplemented within embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an active pylon noise control systemthat can be implemented within embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating a heat shield formed on a pylonstructure that can be implemented within other embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for injecting a gas or fluidinto a pylon structure of an aircraft that can be implemented withinembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes an active pylon noise control systemthat can be implemented within existing pylon structures or new pylonstructures of an aircraft. The active pylon noise control system of thepresent invention provides a method for actively injecting gas or fluidsuch as air through a pylon structure of the aircraft. Details regardingthe active pylon noise control system and the method will be discussedbelow with reference to FIGS. 3 through 6.

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic of a propulsion engine system that can beimplemented within embodiments of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 3, a portion 300 of an aircraft is provided. A wing 302 includes apropulsion engine system 303 attached thereto. The engine system 303includes an engine (not shown) housed in a nacelle 304, and a nozzlesystem 350 for releasing exhaust flow from the engine. The nozzle system350 includes a fan nozzle 351 configured to receive a fan flow from afan (not shown) disposed adjacent to an engine disposed above anairframe surface (e.g., the wing 302) of the aircraft and a core nozzle352 disposed within the fan nozzle 351 and configured to receive anengine core flow. The nozzle system 350 further includes a plug 355formed within the core nozzle 352. According to an embodiment of thepresent invention, a pylon structure 360 is connected to the fan nozzle351 and structurally attached with the wing 302 to secure the enginesystem 303 to the aircraft. In this embodiment of the present invention,the engine system 303 is attached to a lower surface of the wing 302,however the present invention is not limited hereto and the enginesystem 303 may be attached to an upper surface of the wing, the tail,the fuselage or to an upper surface of a hybrid body-wing configurationof an aircraft. The pylon noise control system of the present inventionsupplies a gas or fluid through the pylon structure 360 of the aircraft.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fluid may beair or a gas mixture, water or other liquid. Details regarding theactive pylon noise control system will now be discussed below withreference to FIGS. 3 through 5.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an active pylon noise control systemthat can be implemented within embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the active pylon noise control system 400 includesthe pylon structure 360 which comprises at least one aperture 365 (i.e.,a slot or a plurality of apertures) to supply a gas or fluidtherethrough. The noise control system 400 further includes an intakeportion 402 attached to the pylon structure 360 and configured to intakea gas or fluid. According to an embodiment of the present invention, theintake portion 402 may be formed on at least one junction between thenacelle 304 and the pylon structure 360, on the side, upper surface orleading edge of the pylon structure 360, on the side or leading edge ofthe pylon structure that is interior (e.g., an upper bifurcator, notshown) to the nacelle 304, or on an inner surface of the nacelle 304.The intake of fluid from these surfaces can also result in dragreduction, an additional desirable aspect of the present invention.

The noise control system 400 further includes a regulator and/or pump404 connected with the intake portion 402 via a pipe(s) 405, and isconfigured to regulate a pressure of the gas or fluid received from theintake portion 402. According to other embodiments of the presentinvention, a regulator and/or a pump is provided to control the pressureof the gas or fluid. Thus, the noise control system 400 may operatepassively based on a higher pressure of gas or fluid from the intakeflowing through the pipes 405 and where the pump may create an evenhigher pressure and also may control the pressure through the noisecontrol system 400.

A plenum chamber 406 is also formed within the pylon structure 360 andis connected with the regulator and/or pump 404, and configured toreceive the gas or fluid as regulated by the regulator and/or pump 404.The plenum chamber 406 is connected with and communicates with aplurality of injectors 408 configured to actively inject the gas orfluid through the apertures 365. The plenum chamber 406 distributes thegas or fluid so that it can be delivered to the injectors 408 in auniform flow profile and pressure. The gas or fluid is then release fromthe injectors (Arrow C).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a switch 410 isprovided and attached to the plurality of injectors 408 to selectivelydirect the gas or fluid to at least one of the injectors 408.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aperture 365 isformed within a shelf surface or a trailing edge surface of the pylonstructure 360. The gas or fluid is therefore injected through the shelfsurface or the trailing edge surface as indicated by the arrows A and Bshown in FIG. 3. An injection angle of the gas or fluid injected fromthe injectors 408 may be angled perpendicular to the exhaust flowdirection or angled in a downstream direction or at an angletherebetween (Arrows B) if injected from the shelf surface or a heatshield of the pylon structure 360, or a trailing edge direction (i.e., adownstream direction) (Arrow A) if injected from the trailing edgesurface of the pylon structure 360. The injection of the gas or fluidalters a trajectory of a flow of the core nozzle 352 and a flow of thefan nozzle 351, and impacts a mixing process of the flow of the corenozzle 352 and the flow of the fan nozzle 351. At cruise conditions, theinvention can be used by adjusting the regulator and/or pump to injectvery small levels of flow from the shelf, microblowing, in order toreduce drag associated with high-speed core flow scrubbing over theshelf surface.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when an injector408 is formed at the trailing edge surface of the pylon structure 360,the wake of the pylon structure 360 is affected by injecting a higherpressure and velocity of air through the respective injector 408 (arrowA depicted in FIG. 3). Further, since the mixing of the flow of the corenozzle 352 and of the fan nozzle 351 is changed, the strength anddistribution of the aircraft noise sources is altered. The strengths ofthe aircraft noise sources are reduced and move upstream instead ofdownstream. Further, the overall trajectory of the aircraft is alteredaway from the high-lift devices (i.e., the flaps or ailerons) includedon the wing 302. The present invention is not limited to the apertures365 being formed on a shelf surface or trailing edge surface of thepylon structure 360. According to an embodiment of the presentinvention, the apertures 365 may be formed on a heat shield of the pylonstructure. A detailed description will be discussed below with referenceto FIG. 5

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating a heat shield formed on the shelf ofa pylon structure that can be implemented within other embodiments ofthe present invention. According to another embodiment of the presentinvention, the pylon structure 360 includes a heat shield 362. As shownin FIG. 5, an inner surface of the heat shield facing the core nozzle352 includes a perforated surface that includes a plurality of apertures365. The gas or fluid is therefore injected through the perforatedsurface.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for injecting a gas or fluidinto a pylon structure of an aircraft that can be implemented withinembodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, at operation 600, a gas or fluid is input into thepylon structure 360 via the intake portion 402. From operation 600, theprocess continues to operation 610, where a pressure of the flow of thegas or fluid input in the pylon structure 360 is controlled via theregulator and/or pump 404. The gas or fluid is selectively injected, atoperation 615, through at least one aperture 365 formed on the pylonstructure 360, via the switch 410. This selection may involve injectingthe gas or fluid through the shelf surface or the trailing edge surfaceof the pylon structure 360.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an active pylon noisecontrol system that is capable of reducing overall aircraft noise byinjecting air, for example, through a pylon structure attaching theengine system to the airframe surface of the aircraft. In this system,the flow rate of the air is adjustable at different operating points ofthe aircraft, and the system operates at relatively low pressures,typically less than approximately two atmospheres of pressure. Thesystem is applicable to different aircraft configurations and may beimplemented within existing pylon structures.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, element components,and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is therefore to be understood that,within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedother than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:
 1. An active pylon noise control system for anaircraft, comprising: a pylon structure connecting an engine system withan airframe surface of the aircraft and comprising at least one apertureto supply a gas or fluid therethrough; an intake portion attached to thepylon structure and configured to intake a gas or fluid; a regulatorconnected with the intake portion via a plurality of pipes, andconfigured to regulate a pressure of the gas or fluid; a plenum chamberformed within the pylon structure and connected with the regulator, andconfigured to receive the gas or fluid as regulated by the regulator; aplurality of injectors in communication with the plenum chamber andconfigured to actively inject the gas or fluid through the plurality ofapertures of the pylon structure.
 2. The active pylon noise controlsystem of claim 1, further comprising: a switch attached to theplurality of injectors to selectively direct the gas or fluid to atleast one injector of the plurality of injectors.
 3. The active pylonnoise control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture isformed within a shelf surface or a trailing edge surface of the pylonstructure such that the gas or fluid is injected through the shelfsurface or the trailing edge surface.
 4. The active pylon noise controlsystem of claim 3, wherein an injection angle of the gas or fluidinjected from the plurality of injectors is at an angle perpendicular toan exhaust flow direction or in a downstream direction or at an angletherebetween if injected from the shelf surface or a heat shield of thepylon structure, or in a downstream direction if injected from thetrailing edge surface of the pylon structure.
 5. The active noisecontrol system of claim 4, wherein the intake portion is formed on atleast one junction between a nacelle housing the engine system and thepylon structure, on a side surface, upper surface or leading edgesurface of the pylon structure, on a side surface or leading edgesurface of the pylon structure which is interior to the nacelle or on aninner surface of the nacelle.
 6. The active noise control system ofclaim 5, wherein the pylon further comprises a heat shield, wherein aninner surface of the heat shield facing the core nozzle comprises the atleast one aperture.
 7. An aircraft system comprising: a fuselage; a wingcarried by the fuselage; an engine system comprising: an engine formedabove or beneath the wing, a nacelle housing the engine therein, and anengine exhaust nozzle system formed around the engine, and comprising: afan nozzle configured to receive a fan flow from a fan disposed adjacentto an engine disposed above an airframe surface of the aircraft; a corenozzle disposed within the fan nozzle and configured to receive anEngine core flow; a pylon structure connected to the fan nozzle andstructurally attached with an airframe surface to secure the enginesystem to the aircraft; and an active pylon noise control systemcomprising: at least one aperture formed on the pylon structure tosupply a gas or fluid therethrough; an intake portion attached to thepylon structure and configured to intake the gas or fluid; a regulatorconnected with the intake portion via a plurality of pipes andconfigured to regulate a pressure of the gas or fluid; a plenum chamberformed within the pylon structure and connected with the regulator andconfigured to receive the gas or fluid as regulated by the regulator; aplurality of injectors in communication with the plenum chamber, andconfigured to actively inject the gas or fluid through the at least oneaperture of the pylon structure.
 8. The aircraft system of claim 7,wherein the active pylon noise control system further comprises: aswitch attached to the plurality of injectors to selectively direct thegas or fluid to at least one injector of the plurality of injectors. 9.The aircraft system of claim 7, wherein the at least one aperture isformed within a shelf surface or a trailing edge surface of the pylonstructure such that the gas or fluid is injected through the shelfsurface or the trailing edge surface.
 10. The aircraft system of claim9, wherein an injection angle of the gas or fluid injected from theplurality of injectors is at an angle perpendicular to an exhaust flowdirection or in a downstream direction or at an angle therebetween ifinjected from the shelf surface or a heat shield of the pylon structure,or in a downstream direction if injected from the trailing edge surfaceof the pylon structure.
 11. The aircraft system of claim 7, wherein theintake portion is formed on at least one junction between the nacelleand the pylon structure, on a side surface, upper surface or leadingedge surface of the pylon structure, on a side surface or leading edgesurface of the pylon structure which is interior to the nacelle, or onan inner surface of the nacelle.
 12. The aircraft system of claim 7,wherein the pylon further comprises a heat shield, wherein an innersurface of the heat shield facing the core nozzle comprises the at leastone aperture.